During a trip to the city of San Francisco, California, it was a rare opportunity for me to experience close and personal interaction with a well-known master of ancient Tibetan knowledge. Despite a busy schedule of online teaching sessions and traditional Tibetan religious practices, Chapur Rinpoche shared profound words of wisdom and a glimpse into his vision of sharing this ancient and relevant knowledge.
Chapur Rinpoche was recognized as the reincarnation of the great master Chaphur Phuntsok Wangyal Rinpoche when he was a young boy in Tibet. He then began his formal education in ancient Tibetan Bön knowledge at Nangzhig Monastery in Tibet. Later, he obtained a Geshe Degree (equivalent to a Western Ph.D.) from the principal monastery of the Bön tradition, Menri Monastery in India.
With an objective to serve the community following the Bön tradition, including both Tibetans and non-Tibetans, he founded Gyalshen Institute in the San Francisco Bay Area more than a decade ago. According to him, the lack of any institute or center in the Bay Area focused on teaching this ancient Tibetan knowledge, inspired him to start Gyalshen Institute. After more than a decade, he is busy with a myriad of activities like teachings, practices of Zhang-Zhung, and the ancient Tibetan culture, translating ancient core texts and occasional cultural group performances for his followers within the San Francisco Bay Area and across the world.
According to the local Tibetan community, the establishment of Gyalshen Institute enabled them to connect with traditional practices on important occasions. It also supports community members in their times of need. While contributing to a well-established, diverse local community, his efforts significantly help preserve the sacred ancient Bön knowledge and wisdom.
Smiling with a lot of love and compassion in response to the question, “What is something that you look forward to achieving in the near future?” Rinpoche explains that he wants to establish a facility where people from the local Tibetan community and others can receive authentic lessons on the essence of ancient Tibetan knowledge; the Bön tradition, as well as preserve and nurture it among the next generation. Although he has been carrying out such educational programs, the lack of a designated facility sometimes brings challenges.
Today his institute has branches across the world. He gives regular teachings on Dzogchen, Ngak(Tantra), Dho,(Sutra), Astrology, Calligraphy, Keksel (Tibetan Yoga), and the Tibetan language online which reach his students in many countries. More details about his teachings and the institute can be found on the Gyalshen Institute’s official website.
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